


Chocolate And Honeycomb

by fiveroundsrapid



Category: Holby City
Genre: Episode Related, F/F, Multi, berena - Freeform, drunk!campbell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 19:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14940254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveroundsrapid/pseuds/fiveroundsrapid
Summary: Just a little episode related thing to dip my toe back in the water. The circumstances in which Serena proudly proclaimed her girlfriend tasted of chocolate and honeycomb.





	Chocolate And Honeycomb

“Auntie Serena, are you sure it’s wise to have another bottle? You have had rather a lot.”

Jason looked at his aunt as she slid back into the booth at Albie's with a fresh bottle of Shiraz, and other drinks for Jason and for Greta. It was around 9pm now, and Serena was well on her way after a hard shift with multiple surgeries and meetings, as well as a dash up to Obs and Gynae for Greta's latest ultrasound. All had gone well, and by all accounts, Jason had had a good, calm time at work, and so she had suggested a quick drink at Albie's. She handed them their drinks and set about arranging her own, putting the empty wine bottle to the side.

“Oh hush, Jason, it’s a- it’s-” She grasped the air in front of her with one hand, in search of some wording that escaped her. The other was already pouring the wine into her glass. The bar had given her a clean glass with the bottle, but her first glass would do just as well. It had been a long day for Serena and she was damned if she wasn’t going to drink and be merry. “It’s a _celebration!_ We’re wetting the baby’s head.”

With that, Serena toasted the air and took a large sip. Jason frowned, puzzled, “But the baby isn’t born yet. And pouring Shiraz over her would likely be very frowned upon.”

“And a waste of good Shiraz!” Serena chuckled into her glass. Ric, fresh from his own long shift, entered Albie’s and immediately spied his friend and her family.

“Mind if I cut in?” He asked, in polite tones, a smile already born due to the telltale flush in Serena’s cheeks. Serena turned to face him.

“Ric!” She was delighted. Greta glanced up from her phone, albeit briefly.

“Hello, Ric.” Jason offered as Ric sat down in the booth, next to Serena, putting his coat and satchel next to him. He looked vaguely at the bar, but it was rather crowded. Jason continued, proffering an arm to his girlfriend. “This is Greta. She’s carrying my unborn child. And she’s my girlfriend.”

“Lovely to meet you, Greta.” Ric looked at the girl, who instantly shied away, back to her phone. Ric took it in his stride, knowing all about Greta, despite never having met her before.   
“You’re a friend of Serena’s, aren’t you?” She was curious, if restrained. Eye contact did not seem to be a prefered given of social interaction.

“Indeed I am.”

“Oh, yes, he’s my best of friends.” Serena said, jolly and rose-cheeked, putting an arm around Ric’s shoulders and pulling him close into a hug. Ric chuckled, and indicated to the clean glass with a nod of his head.

“Shall we split the bottle, Serena?”

“Oh, if you must.”

“This is her second bottle, Ric.” Jason inclined to let him know, as Ric reached over to get the glass and began to pour his own wine. Shiraz was not his usual tipple, but as with all of Serena’s friends, you swiftly grew to enjoy it. Greta had a water, by the looks, and Jason his usual orange juice.

“Drinking alone?” He asked Serena. She raised an eyebrow, almost teasingly, her happy countenance unswayed.

“Oh, come on, Ric.” She told him, taking another gulp of Shiraz whilst she was at it. She was not drunk. “It’s been a long shift. Besides, Greta had another ultrasound today.” Serena drew herself up with righteous reasoning, stating: “We’re wetting the baby’s head.”

“I don’t understand that.” Jason stated again. Serena looked to her nephew, ready to explain.

“It’s a figure of speech, Jason-” But Greta took over, her eyes never diverting from her mobile.

“To wet the baby's head means 'to drink to celebrate the birth of a child' and was first recorded in 1881.” She sounded like an encyclopedia, causing many brows to raise in astonishment, except Jason, who looked rather pleased with it all.

“Is that right?” Ric nodded, the information sinking in, exchanging a quick, bewildered look with Serena.

“Yes.”

“My girlfriend is very smart. She likes to research things.” Jason explained, taking Greta’s hand as the two exchanged a heartfelt look with each other. Serena smiled, glad that her nephew was happy. Even if Greta wasn’t particularly conventional… well, neither was Jason. It was good that he had someone to look after him, and for him to look after. Someone to be there, keep a structure together. Serena was over the shock now of Jason having turned from the shy man she met with Alan over a year ago, and now into this father-to-be with a flat and very little outside help. Her heart nearly burst at the thought of it. If she thought too much, she would cry.

“You two are very sweet together.” Ric acknowledged with a nod. Serena took another long sip of Shiraz.

“Auntie Serena is missing Auntie Bernie. That’s why she’s drinking.” A rather blunt way to introduce a new topic of conversation, but Jason’s way. They had been talking about drink any way, and it was easy to see that her drinking levels went up when Bernie wasn’t there, to when Bernie was. Jason remembered her consumption when Ms Wolfe had been in Ukraine. They weren’t even together then. Though they had been kissing.

“Yes, thank you, Jason.” Serena blushed, not _really_ needing her dirty laundry to be aired in the hospital’s go-to bar. She looked down into her wine glass, one hand playing the stem as the other reached to the nape of her neck, toying with a few grey strands. She remembered how much Bernie loved her new hair. The delighted expression when she had first seen it, all those months ago in France. Luckily, Ric was not one to miss a trick and quickly got the conversation moving again.

“The whole hospital misses Bernie Wolfe. Connie’s got it in her head to reintroduce trauma capabilities in the ED.” He had heard it on the grapevine somewhere or another. Either Henrik or Abigail. Connie’s return was fearsome, and he should have known that she would like a dramatic entrance. Overhauling ED practice was certainly that.

“Ha!” Serena laughed, bitterly. “Yes, I heard about that. She’s on a fool’s errand.”

“Why?” asked Jason. He had done some porter work on the ED, and it seemed logical from his perspective. That sort of thing would help injured people, and the ED had loads of them. “Isn’t it a good idea?”

“We had the Trauma Unit on AAU, Jason… and that didn’t work.” Ric was about to interject, but Serena held a hand up, digging into the argument. She may be _slightly_ tipsy at this point, wagging finger on display as she beat down any protests that might spill from his mouth. “No, Ric, I mean it, that was cut and we had the greatest trauma surgeon that this country has to offer!” She stressed, impassioned. “Add that to the already haemorrhaging ED, and you don’t have the money or the Berenice Wolfe to perform miracles!”

“It’s not quite that straightforward.” Ric explained to both Jason and Greta, who had looked up when Serena had started to raise her voice slightly.

“Bernie would have that ED ship-shape in no time.” Serena said, her tone turning from dark to an echoing wistfulness in her glass as she drunk it dry. It was true, she knew it in her bones. Berenice Wolfe was a godsend to any trauma facility. Any hospital! She had certainly improved AAU, for all the good that did, and put patients first. Serena was of the definite opinion that any place with Bernie Wolfe was better. Better for the place… better for Serena if she was in that place...

“How exactly is Nairobi?” The tales of African suns had grown cold over the past few weeks, whenever Ric and Serena had managed a drink in a bar corner, just the two of them. He liked to ask, and give her space to answer, not something that happened when joined by Donna or Sacha or anyone else. The first few weeks settling in after his… rather unwelcome absence, there would be tales of adventure from Serena, both of them filling in what had been missed. Photos were shown to him, of the two women, smiling in some sunny clime. Bernie with a baseball cap on, and Serena in sunglasses. Serena had gushed about the centre as well, at the time.

Serena poured another glass. “Oh, fine. Fine. All good, so far as I know.”

“Must be close to completion.”

“Nope. Not yet. It’s not done yet.” She drained the glass.

“Auntie Bernie is working very hard. It’s why she has to miss video calls.” Jason piped up, causing a small huff from his aunt; a sure sign that he had probably said too much. Ric latched onto it though, and gave a look to Serena. Serena hadn’t mentioned this. Alarm bells were not ringing, but Ric sympathised with his own family and having to keep long distance relationships. They were not the same, as his were familial rather than romantic. But she had his ear if ever he needed it. Serena caught his eye, and tutted, knowing full well she had to address it.

“Yes… well… we both work hard. But we’re managing.” Serena stated. They did speak to each other. Emails and texts and so forth. It had indeed been a few weeks since they had spoken face to face, or rather, screen to screen. A two hour time difference might not seem like much, but they were worlds apart in some ways. Never mind the breakfast photographs. “She wanted me to come here.” Serena turned to Greta and Jason. “Besides; I’ve got you two, and the baby! Not to mention work and AAU.”

“Ships in the night?” Ric teased, smiling before taking a sip of his drink. Serena gave a half-hearted smile at that, quickly devolving. Ships in the night. Yes, that was one way to put it. It reminded her of another time Bernie had said that. They hadn’t even been together then, just a few inches shy of a second kiss; when all was new and exciting and ever so slightly terrifying. Serena finds herself smiling about it, despite herself. A stupid, shy smile, the sort that she had given at the end of that ‘ships in the night’ day, to Ric, over a similar bottle. It’s Bernie. It was always bloody Bernie.

“I do miss her, you know.” Serena said, softly. She poured another glass, almost in a daze, just for something to do. She laughed. God, she was sounding morbid.

“I know.” Ric soothed, his hand coming over her spare, patting softly before withdrawing. If it had been Bernie, Serena thought, she would have held that hand. Never let go. Oh yes, she was most definitely tipsy now.

“I tried calling. She’s busy. Or asleep. Something.” She waved a hand.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Ric said, very equipped now with the many stages of Serena Campbell drunk. He took the bottle, noting there was very little left. He had barely managed two glasses. Serena giggled again at her own thoughts, draining her glass and waving it at Ric to gain either attention, wine or both.

“She is the GREATEST love affair of my life.” Serena stated, boldly. She leaned in, her voice taking on a fake whisper. “I love her, Ric- she tastes like… like chocolate… and honeycomb!”

“Does she now?” Ric got up from his seat, remembering his bag and coat in one arm, and offering a hand to Serena, who gave a disgruntled noise before wrapping a scarf around her neck and reaching for her coat. Ric looked to the other two. “Jason, are you and Greta alright getting back to your flat?”

“Oh yes,” Jason nodded, dutifully. “I passed my driving test months ago when Auntie Serena was on sabbatical. Bernie helped me.”

“See?” Serena pointed to Jason, giggling as she wrestled with her coat. “She’s not only a fantastic snogger, but she’s good with Jason as well!” Greta was now wide-eyed at her new aunt. Ric was rather hoping that Serena might not remember this. Though, she likely would. Serena got up, grabbing Ric's arm for support as she hoisted up out of the booth.

“She’s certainly something.” Ric agreed, then back to Jason, “Right, Jason, I’m going to get your aunt home. Greta, it was lovely to meet you and I wish you every luck with the baby.”

“You were nice too.” Greta gave a polite smile and the couple departed, Jason saying something about Serena pacing herself next time, and that the baby shouldn’t be around drunk people as it encouraged bad habits. Serena was luckily out of earshot and thinking about how long Bernie’s legs were. Not that Ric was to know. He helped to prop his friend up, trying to remember if Serena was on shift tomorrow.

“Come on, Serena. Some of us have shifts in the morning.”


End file.
